100 One-Shot Challenge
by hollyhobbit101
Summary: 100 one-shots, 100 stories. Here are the moments we never got to see. Chapter 17: Frank is having some trouble so Hazel offers to lend a helping hand
1. List and Introduction

**Here's my attempt at the 100 One-Shot Challenge! I've seen a load of these sorts of things around so I thought I may as well give it a go. Here's the list for you:**

 **1\. Introduction  
2\. Fear  
3\. Light  
4\. Dark  
5\. Seeking Solace  
6\. Break Away  
7\. Dream  
8\. Innocence  
9\. Drive  
10\. Breathe Again  
11\. Memory  
12\. Insanity  
13\. Misfortune  
14\. Smile  
15\. Silence  
16\. Illusion  
17\. Blood  
18\. Rainbow  
19\. Grey  
20\. Fortitude  
21\. Holiday  
22\. Mother Nature  
23\. Cat  
24\. No Time  
25\. Trouble Lurking  
26\. Tears  
27\. Foreign  
28\. Sorrow  
29\. Happiness  
30\. Under the Rain  
31\. Flowers  
32\. Night  
33\. Expectations  
34\. Stars  
35\. Hold My Hand  
36\. Fairy Tale  
37\. Eyes  
38\. Abandoned  
39\. Water  
40\. Rated  
41\. Teamwork  
42\. Standing Still  
43\. Dying  
44\. Two Roads  
45\. Heaven  
46\. Family  
47\. Creation  
48\. Childhood  
49\. Stripes  
50\. Breaking the Rules  
51\. Sport  
52\. Deep in Thought  
53\. Keeping a Secret  
54\. Tower  
55\. Waiting  
56\. Danger Ahead  
57\. Sacrifice  
58\. Kick in the Head  
59\. No Way Out  
60\. Rejection  
61\. Beautiful  
62\. Magic  
63\. Do Not Disturb  
64\. Multitasking  
65\. Horror  
66\. Traps  
67\. Playing the Melody  
68\. Hero  
69\. Annoyance  
70\. Home  
71\. Obsession  
72\. Mischief Managed  
73\. I Can't  
74\. Are You Challenging Me?  
75\. Mirror  
76\. Broken Pieces  
77\. Test  
78\. Drink  
79\. Starvation  
80\. Words  
81\. Pen and Paper  
82\. Can You Hear Me?  
83\. Heal  
84\. Out Cold  
85\. Spiral  
86\. Seeing Red  
87\. Food  
88\. Pain  
89\. Through the Fire  
90\. Triangle  
91\. Drowning  
92\. All That I Have  
93\. Give Up  
94\. Last Hope  
95\. Advertisement  
96\. In the Storm  
97\. Safety First  
98\. Puzzle  
99\. Solitude  
100\. The End**

 **They won't be in any specific order, except for Introduction and The End. This first one isn't technically about the book universe but it seemed an alright idea at the time so here it is.**

* * *

Introduction

Sit down, my friends, and I'll tell you a tale  
Of a boy that lives in these pages.

This boy has powers that you've never dreamed  
And has done things that's never crossed your mind.

He's slayed monsters, fought Titans and even gods  
In order for all us to live.

He first will find the lightning thief  
And discover who he is.

Second he'll sail the monstrous sea  
And find another much like him.

Third he'll bear the Titan's curse  
In order to save his one.

Fourth is the depths of the labyrinth  
To spare his home from complete destruction.

Last comes battle that will be great and long  
And he'll feel such pain and sorrow.

We have all this to hear about this boy  
And more comes after as well.

So gather round, come on, and listen closely.  
The tale is just beginning.


	2. Home

**A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter, but be warned: I wrote it whilst depressed and listening to sad music. It may contain Leo feels.**

* * *

Home

Leo stood on the threshold of Camp Half-Blood. It was the first time he'd been back in a year and he wanted to see how much camp had changed. He wished he had more time but he had to leave soon otherwise... Well, he didn't really want to think about the consequences. He shook himself. Enough time wasting; he had only three hours left. With a deep breath he stepped over the boundary.

* * *

Camp was much the same as it had been a year and a half ago when he'd first arrived. The sun beat down, the scent of strawberries wafted across the meadows, and the campers moved about everywhere. There were duels in the sword fighting arena, people scaling the climbing wall, mooching around in their cabins to cool off. Far more cabins had been built since Leo had last been there and far more campers had arrived too. He hoped the gods were still claiming their children. Leo remembered vividly when he found out he was the son of Hephaestus and being introduced to his cabin mates and getting that awesome bed. He wondered who had that now. Only someone worthy should sleep where the great Leo Valdez had once slept. He glanced at his watch and realised that he'd been stupid enough to stand around gawking for over half an hour. The only reason he had so little time was because he'd spent the majority of the day with Calypso. Now he wished he hadn't.

* * *

It was just like old times. Leo had found Jason and Piper and they had walked round together. He explained what had happened in the past year with him and why he couldn't stay. They had looked sad but had accepted it and not asked any questions, which Leo was grateful for. Instead they'd spoken about their year. How Percy and Annabeth had gone to college in New Rome, but were expected back soon. How Hazel was now the head of Fifth Cohort at Camp Jupiter and Frank was an excellent Praetor. How Jason had been working on shrines for the minor gods at both camps and how Piper had been excelling at helping out in camp.

They walked and talked and laughed and it was like the war had never happened. Like none of them had been left with invisible yet irreparable scars. They whiled away the time quickly, which Leo was all too aware of. When he had just one hour left he asked his friends if he could just go to a couple of places. They readily agreed, so he walked off, knowing that they knew better than to follow.

* * *

The first place Leo went was Cabin Nine. Inside, everything was just as he remembered it. Cogs and gears and wires were strewn everywhere and unfinished automatons were sitting on desks and the floor and beds. It felt like home.

It was Jake Mason, the now head councillor, who first spotted Leo. One by one, everyone else noticed him and the room fell silent. Leo glanced around nervously.

"'Sup, guys?" He asked.

Then the whole cabin positively shook with noise.

"Leo! Where've you been, man?"

"We've been waiting for you, you lazy idiot!"

"Your bunk's all ready for you."

"Whoa, guys," Leo held up his hands for silence. "I'm not staying. In fact, I've come to say goodbye."

In the next ten minutes Leo explained everything. Everyone looked completely crestfallen and Leo hated to leave. These people were his family. How could be be expected to say goodbye in just fifteen minutes?

All too soon, Leo had to go. Just as he was about to step out the door, he felt a tug at his sleeve. It was one of the new campers.

"Are you Leo Valdez?" The kid's voice was filled with awe.

Leo smiled sadly at him. "That's me, kiddo. Take care of yourself."

* * *

The final place he went was Bunker Nine. He remembered all that building of the Argo II that had gone on in here. He smiled as he caught sight of the banner that read:

All DA LADIES LUV LEO

Glancing at his watch he saw he had just 20 minutes left. Time to get to work.

* * *

He built furiously, knowing that this would be the last time he'd ever build in here. He built until Nico di Angelo cleared his throat at the door.

"Five minutes."

Leo nodded and Jason and Piper walked in. Piper tackled Leo into a hug and started crying. Jason stood behind her, patting her on the back.

"I'm sorry I can't stay guys. You know how it is. I'm lucky to have been given this one day. And we'll see each other again. I know it. It better not be too soon though," he joked.

"Take care of yourself," Jason told him.

"'Course I will. You know me: living life on the safe side."

Piper stifled a laugh. "We'll miss you, Leo."

"Me too. Before I go, there's some stuff at the back for you all. You'll know which one's which."

Before he could start bawling, Leo took one last look at the banner, now reading:

LEO VALDEZ, OVER AND OUT

and walked away.

* * *

He stood on the boundary of camp once more. He watched the campers go about the daily business for the last time. He breathed in deeply and sighed.

Elysium was good, but it just wasn't home.

* * *

 **A/N: I did warn you. Please read and review and tell me what you think. Cheers!**


	3. Stars

**A/N: A quick thank you to andifdreams and CarlaKitten21 for reviewing! Enjoy this next chapter.**

* * *

Stars

Zoe Nightshade had always loved stars. She had never thought she'd become them.

* * *

They had been her light in times of dark. They had been her guidance when she was lost. They had always been there for her, even when she was so alone.

There weren't many things more beautiful than stars. When all the other Hunters had been sleeping, Zoe had often crept out to sit in the moonlight, watching the sky twinkle like it was full of diamonds. Which, to her, it was. She loved the beauty of all nature, but stars were her favourite.

* * *

She had always felt like an outcast with her sisters in the Garden of the Hesperides. Instead of watching the sunset, she had watched the stars. She had hated dancing the people to death and keeping the men as pets. She had hated not being able to leave the garden and being stuck in the same monotonous routine day in, day out. She had wanted more.

She had become estranged from her sisters and spent more and more time sitting on her own watching the stars dance and play. She had been glad she had helped Hercules and escaped from her prison. Becoming a Hunter of Artemis had been the best thing she'd done in all her long life. She was no longer confined to the same spot. She would always be moving and she would, for once, shine bright just like her beloved stars.

* * *

Zoe had never felt guilt like she did at Bianca's death. Not even the stars could console her in those terrible times after. She had condemned a 12 year-old to death and there could be no comfort. She had sat out in the wind with her head turned upwards, but all she had seen that night was a infinite blackness with cold, fractured spots of light which were too far away to reach.

That had been the only time that she had hated the stars.

* * *

After Atlas had started her dying process, she had lain and made her peace with the stars. She had thanked them for being there when all hope seemed lost and she had stared at them one last time and counted the constellations.

Looking at them then, she had been taken back to a moment in her childhood when one of her sisters' male pets came and sat by her.

* * *

 _"Beautiful, are they not?" He had asked her, looking up at the stars._

 _"They are, surely," she had replied with caution. If she was caught talking to him she would be punished terribly._

 _"Do you see the patterns up there? They are constellations. I know all of them."_

 _"Most interesting, I'm sure."_

 _"I could teach you, if that would please thee?"_

 _"Please do."_

 _She had sat, spellbound as he had told her all the patterns. she had become friends with all of them and was fascinated. The man taught her every night and she slowly started falling in love with the stars._

 _When her sisters found out, they killed him. They said he was unreliable. From that day forth, Zoe had hated her sisters with a deadly vengeance. She never forgot the kind soul who had taught her such wonderful things._

* * *

When she came to, all her vision was black. The stars had disappeared and that scared Zoe for the first time in her immortal life. She was grateful when they came back at last. She had always wanted her last sight to be the stars.

* * *

Now, she runs across the sky, free at last. She watches over everyone below her on Earth. She hunts still as she moves with all the others around her. Her bow is a glistening group of silver stars and her arrows shoot across the pitch darkness, bringing hope to everyone.

* * *

Yes, Zoe Nightshade had always loved stars. And, in a way, she had always been a part of them.

* * *

 **A/N: So it was probably a but cliché of me, but how could I do a 'Stars' story not about Zoe? Please review, I love to hear what you think!**


	4. Flowers

**A/N: I was going to do a nice, happy, fluffy Tratie story for this one but then I came up with this idea and I sort of couldn't help but write it. Sorry.**

 **Someone asked me if I was going to do a Tratie story for this prompt, which is fine, but please, PLEASE don't request characters or storylines. There's reason why this is a challenge.**

* * *

Flowers

It was August 18th, Percy's birthday. Annabeth grinned. They could go to the beach with their one year old son, Charlie, and have a picnic and- Annabeth's train of thought was interrupted by wailing coming from the next room. Charlie. She sighed and stretched out, expecting to find warmth and hear a grunt of annoyance from Percy. Instead she was met with silence and freezing cold. Her smile faded. Of course, how could she have forgotten? It had only been a month since he... No. She wouldn't think about it, not now. She'd just do what she had to, and just pretend that it was a normal day. Just a normal day. For example, now she'd go and dress Charlie and eat breakfast like she'd done every morning for the past year.

As she got out of bed, she knew that it wasn't a normal day and that it never would be. She should really stop pretending that it was.

Charlie had started off crying again so she hurried into his room and picked him up and cradled him. It saddened her to know that he'd never properly know his daddy. Her eyes filled with tears but she quickly brushed them away. She couldn't let Charlie see her cry. She dressed him and then took him into her bedroom while she showered and dressed. They had a quick breakfast of toast before setting out.

* * *

The town of New Athens had grown and grown over the years. Annabeth's house was a newer one on Seventh Street. It looked so peaceful Annabeth could almost believe that it was a normal day and she would be meeting Percy at the café just down the road where they'd been so many times and they would hold hands and spend a quiet night curled up on the sofa in the living room and-

She shook herself. No good thinking about the past when she had so many other things to do. It was ridiculous really. She had no work today - Chiron always gave her August 18th off even though it was the height of the summer season - so why was she so busy? Honestly. She ran through a checklist that she'd mentally made this morning. First things first: Find Katie.

She walked over to Katie's house but Travis told her that she'd gone to work early that morning. Great. Annabeth supposed that she'd be in the greenhouses or the strawberry fields. She opted for the greenhouse.

Fortunately, Katie was there tending to some wild plant that Annabeth didn't know the name of. She might be a child of Athena but she had zero interest in Demeter stuff like flowers. Katie hadn't seen her immediately so she jumped when Annabeth cleared her throat. Her happy smile faded as she saw the pair standing there expectantly.

"Hey Annabeth. I'm guessing you'll be wanting what he always got?"

Annabeth nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"This might take a while, so feel free to look around. Just make sure Charlie's careful; I don't want him soaking any of the plants."

Annabeth rolled her eyes. " He's too young to be 'soaking' anything yet, Katie."

Nevertheless, she kept a tight grip on her son's hand as they wandered around. It was some 30 minutes before Katie came and found them. In her hands was a huge bunch of blue flowers. As she looked at them she couldn't help but let a few tears escape. She ducked her head but it was too late; Katie had already seen.

"You'll be okay?"

"Yeah. It's hard, that's all."

"I know. Take care, Annabeth."

"Thanks Katie."

She walked out of the greenhouse, her eyes never leaving the bunch in her hand.

* * *

Ever since he'd first proposed all those years ago blue flowers had been an important part of Percy and Annabeth's relationship. Crocuses, hyacinths, Annabeth's personal favourite the meconopsis flower, you name it, as long as it was blue it would feature in the Jackson household. It had become a bit of a running joke. They were presented to her with a little ceremony every birthday, Christmas and anniversary. Sometimes he'd just buy them randomly as a surprise. Even though she scolded him lightly for spoiling her like that, she secretly loved it. He'd bought an extra big bunch when she told him that she was pregnant.

In return, she made him blue pancakes on his birthday and Christmas and anniversaries. It wasn't much compared to the big bunches of flowers he gave her but he didn't seem to mind. She remembered fondly his hopeful face as he presented her with a sapphire ring and a bundle of flowers on the day he proposed. His smile was always so endearing and funny hiding behind huge bunches. She thought of all these moments and more as she continued on her errands.

* * *

She made a few more stops to Sally and Paul's house and all the rest of the Sevens, Nico's, Reyna's and Grover's places before finally stopping. She looked down at Charlie, who was playing in the grass and trying to catch butterflies. He looked so much like Percy did already, she thought, with his black hair and tanned face. He had grey eyes, just like hers, too.

"Come on, Charlie. Time to go see Daddy."

* * *

He seemed to sense that something was wrong because he was quiet the whole way and stayed close to Annabeth all the way. _Only one and already getting perceptive,_ thought Annabeth. _Nothing like Percy._

She caught her breath as they reached the beach. The setting sun tinged the water red and it was calm with just a small breeze, as though Poseidon himself was keeping it that way just for her. Which he probably was, given what day it was. The stone was every bit as beautiful as she remembered it. It was marble with a trident pictured at the very top and beautiful pictures of their adventures when they were younger etched around the outside. It read:

 _This stone commemorates Perseus Jackson,_

 _Son of Poseidon,_

 _Saviour of Olympus_

 _Who was killed by a Hydra whilst defending two young half-bloods,_

 _Aged 22_

 _May his name live long in the memory of demigods_

 _And may his soul achieve Elysium._

Annabeth sank to her knees and pulled Charlie close. She finally let the tears spill out over her cheeks and land in the sand. She sat there a long time, until night had truly arrived and she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She looked up. Sally Jackson stood beside her, her eyes also shining with tears. Annabeth stood up and placed the bundle of flowers that represented oh so much in front of the stone.

"Happy birthday, Percy," she whispered.

And walked away.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you liked it! Sorry it didn't follow the original plan of happy Tratie but when that plot hits you you have to grab it with both hands. Please tell me how it was and reviews are always appreciated.**


	5. Dark

**A/N: Thank you to people who've reviewed, favourited and followed so far! A special thanks to CarlaKitten21, SnowWolfe6631, LovelyMunchie and andifdreams for giving me such lovely reviews.**

 **I have to apologise (again) for w** **hat is to follow. I swear I can write happy stories it's just the sad ones are so much easier to write.**

* * *

Dark

Annabeth could feel her hands slipping. The blast from the Argo II hadn't done the shaky for any good, and while the others had been securing the Athena Parthenos it had collapsed completely. The thread had dragged her backwards through the hole before she could register what was happening. Percy had lunged for her but he wasn't fast enough; she had caught the look of fear in his eyes as she slipped past his reach into the abyss. By some miracle she had caught hold of a piece of jutting out rock, but Arachne's pull was too strong.

Percy was yelling for help but his words were lost in the general noise. Now he was staring down at her, his green eyes wide with panic. Her right hand slipped and put the strain on her left hand hard. She gritted her teeth, feeling like her hand was going to come out of its socket. As it sensing her pain, Percy renewed his shouting.

Now only three fingers held on. She couldn't hang on much longer. Annabeth smiled up at Percy, but she had a feeling it looked more like a grimace.

"Come on, Annabeth! Hold on, we're almost done!"

He sounded so hopeful, but she knew it was in vain.

"I love you, Seaweed Brain!" She called up. If Arachne was going to pull her down, it would be on her own terms. Annabeth took one last look at Percy and let go.

* * *

The fall was longer than she expected. She felt a momentary stab of panic when the Cocytus loomed below, but it soon dissipated. Who cares if the impact killed her? She'd die anyway.

She hit the water, and instantly the voices surrounded her. They were right. Maybe she should just let go and drift into oblivion. Her head slipped below water. Her lungs screamed for air but she ignored them. She started slipping away.

She had almost gone when something reached in and dragged her out. Annabeth looked up into the monstrous face of Arachne.

"Poor, child of Athena. No one to save you now, and no weapon to defend yourself with. At last, time to claim my sweet revenge."

The monster stabbed down and the world turned black.

* * *

Something changed inside Percy that day. Something snapped. When Nico had walked into the room shaking his head, Percy had walked out. From that day forth, the son of Poseidon smiled no more.

The light in his green eyes that used to sparkle had dulled and even the colour had darkened, like the sea on a stormy day. His usually happy, funny personality had turned dark and serious. His friends tried time and again to talk to him, hoping that just this once he might respond with a smart answer or a witty comment. Instead, they were met with silence.

When they were talking about the next steps, they were shocked at how ruthless he'd become. In battle he was like a wild animal, refusing to be tamed. He killed anything that dared get in his way. He often turned on his allies, yelling at them to do something, unless they wanted to get killed. His anger grew, and with that so did his powers. Powerful tornadoes swept monsters away and huge floods drowned many more. It was when he choked an empousa to death on her own bodily fluids that they really began to fear what he'd become.

They prayed to the gods to do something, to help Percy see the light again, but to no avail. Not even Poseidon came to the aid of his only half-blood child.

The heart of Perseus Jackson had turned black, and nothing could be done to reverse it.

* * *

 **A/N: Yay! Dark!Percy! The next one is Solangelo, so I promise it'll be happier**.


	6. Rainbow

**A/N: As promised, here's some Solangelo for you!**

* * *

Rainbow

It was the end of his three day imprisonment in the infirmary, and Nico had to admit that it hadn't been as bad as he'd thought. First of all, he'd gotten to see Will every day, although that was completely on medical grounds, of course. Second, he was allowed to do pretty much whatever he wanted as long as he didn't step out of the hospital, ("Not even one toe or I'll send you to Hades the hard way") or do any 'Underworldy' stuff. He was more than happy to oblige seeing as he was so tired after the battle he could hardly summon a mouse skeleton, let alone shadow travel.

* * *

The first day had dragged by forever because Will had forced him to have complete bed rest for the entire day. There was nothing to do except stare at the walls. Nico's ADHD had not liked that at all, even his very mild form of it. He was seriously contemplating trying to summon some small skeletons to dance around the hallways and generally create havoc when someone walked in. Unfortunately it was only Austin, one of Will's brothers, but he did bring food and that was always a good sign.

* * *

Day two wasn't so bad as he woke up to the sound of Will knocking at the door.

"Wakey, wakey, Death Boy." He had said with that blinding smile that never failed to impress Nico. He was pretty sure that he was blushing but he tried to scowl at the son of Apollo.

"What? Why did you wake me up? And don't call me that."

"I only came to check you to see if you can get up today but seeing as you must have had so much fun yesterday..."

"Fine. Come in, I guess."

"Thought so." Will grinned even wider and walked over to Nico. He sat down on the bed and leaned in very close. Nico's heart rate sped up but at that moment Will produced a light a shone it right into Nico's eyes, forcing him to blink hard. Next he took Nico's pulse and heart rate (which he raised his eyebrows at) before standing up and announcing that he was okay to get up.

"So I can go now?"

"Easy, Death Boy. Three days you promised me, remember? I could do with a hand today. Care to be my personal assistant?"

"M-me? Why would people want a son of Hades in their hospital room of all people? As you keep pointing out, I'm about death, not healing."

"We'll see. Come on, Death Boy."

"Quit it!"

* * *

He had acted as Will's assistant for both days two and three. He supposed it hadn't been too bad. He'd gotten a few strange looks and a couple of people tried to subtly shuffle away, (the story about Octavian had circulated fast) but nothing he wasn't used to. It had almost seemed normal. Well, except for the fact that he was following Will Solace around the hospital attempting to act doctor.

* * *

Day three had come to an end much quicker than Nico had expected, and he was almost sorry. That, of course, had nothing to do with Will. He was in his room now, waiting for Will to give him the all clear to go. At long last the son of Apollo entered, the sun glinting off his golden hair and making his eyes sparkle. Nico shook himself. This was not what he was here for.

"Okay, Nico, you're good to go."

"Finally." He stood up and walked towards the door, but Will blocked him.

"You will come and keep me company sometimes, won't you? Promise?"

Nico looked up into the other boy's eyes and felt the heat rise to his face. He tried to keep his expression neutral as he rolled his eyes. "Promise."

The next thing that happened was so unexpected that later Nico wondered if he had dreamed it. Will leant down and pressed his lips to Nico's. He stood there rigid with shock, but before he could say anything Will flashed him one last smile and disappeared round the corner.

When he got outside, his lips still tingling, he noticed that a rainbow arced gracefully across the sky. He felt his face broke into a grin. Maybe that day would be the start of something completely new.

* * *

 **A/N: How was it? Read, review and enjoy!**


	7. Heal

**A/N: I have been putting off writing for ages so I thought that I'd finally update a few of my stories for you all. And, even better, this is going to be a happy fic! Yay! I've decided to put slight Reynico in this so I apologise if you're not a big fan. It's set during BoO when Reyna, Nico and Coach Hedge are on their quest with the Athena Parthenos.**

* * *

Heal

It was getting late so Reyna had told the other two to get some rest while she took first watch. Nico needed some shut eye after the days travelling and the Coach had been looking troubled after emerging out of the woods. She figured something bad was happening at camp which meant they needed to get the Athena Parthenos back as soon as possible. But with Nico in as bad a condition as he was, swift travel was impossible. She sighed and settled her back against a wall. It was going to be a long night.

Two hours later and Reyna was beginning to drop off. She'd been trained to always be alert and never fall asleep on the job but it had been a weary few days and she was tiring more easily. Besides, the land was so peaceful; it didn't seem like anything would dare break the peace and quiet, not even monsters.

Peace. She hadn't known such a thing in a long time. Not since she had... Not since her father... She shifted in position and tried to force the memory out of her head. She had relived that day time and again and it got worse every time. She felt wetness on her face and was shocked to find she was crying. If anyone saw her now... Of course, even if they did they wouldn't care. Reyna had run out of people to care about her.

"Reyna?"

A quiet voice to her left made Reyna jump. Nico di Angelo was sitting up, his dark eyes blinking at her out of his pale face.

"Nico, you're awake. Sorry I was just thinking."

"Are you okay?" Concern was clear in his voice and he looked so worried.

"I'm fine," she reassured him. "Go back to sleep; you need the rest."

"You don't need to pretend you're alright, you know. Not around me." She was startled by the amount of sadness in his voice. Sometimes it was hard to believe that he was just fourteen.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that it's okay to cry. I know you wouldn't want to do it in front of the legion, and maybe not even the Coach, but you can around me. I do it too."

"You do?" Surprised as she was, Reyna couldn't help but feel guilty that she hadn't realised it before. In hindsight it seemed so obvious. The pain and the darkness she had felt when he had shared his strength with her had to have an outlet.

He looked her full in the face then, and she felt like those dark eyes could see info her very soul. She remembered fourteen years of pain and guilt and torment and saw them once more. She felt ashamed of herself for not noticing before, and quickly looked down.

"Of course. For at least a year after my sister died I cried myself to sleep every night. It was horrible. I hated every minute of it. I would lie with only the dead for company and let myself cry. I still do sometimes, it's just nobody's ever heard me. I don't tell them either because I tell myself that they won't care, even though I know they probably would."

"I get it. In my case, though, I know people won't care."

"I care." For the second time that night, Nico had surprised Reyna. She looked at him sharply to see if he was just humouring her but, no, he appeared to be completely sincere.

"Thanks." She wasn't sure what else to say. This time he smiled, which completely transformed his face. Suddenly he looked like the teenager he was meant to be, and not someone who had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Go to sleep, Reyna. I'll take this watch; you look done in." She agreed and lay down, pulling her cloak over her.

Maybe Venus was right. Maybe s demigod wouldn't fully heal her heart, but this kid had at least started to.

* * *

 **A/N: Again, I am so so sorry for how long this has been in coming. I hope it was worth the wait. I'll try and update more regularly but, what with school and all, I can't promise anything. As usual, tell me your thoughts and hopefully I'll have another chapter up soon!**


	8. Dying

**A/N: I was intending to do a... Well, not a happy fic but not one as depressing as this one for this chapter but I got put into a really bad mood at school for reasons I really don't want to go into so I changed my mind. Sorry. I really don't have much Christmas cheer do I? Anyway, for the fourth day of FanFiction, I give to you...**

* * *

Dying

Bianca di Angelo was dying. That was a fact and there were no two ways about it. She just didn't understand why it hurt so much.

* * *

She was buried under a large pile of scrap metal which she assumed was the remains of Talos. Small gaps allowed her to take breaths - however many she had left - and she could also hear her friends calling her name. Bianca tried to shout to them but her voice wasn't working. Weird. She couldn't move either.

* * *

A great and abject terror suddenly seized her, causing her to strain against whatever was preventing her movement. She didn't want to die. She couldn't die. There was Nico to protect and she still had so much to learn and wasn't becoming a Hunter supposed to stop all this? She was twelve years old. It just wasn't fair.

Her breathing grew panicked and her heart rate sped up until it felt like it would tear itself out of her ribcage. She was scared. She didn't want to die. She pushed harder against whatever was holding her in place but it wasn't working. As Bianca lay there, paralysed with fear, something strange started to happen.

* * *

They say that when you are about to die your life flashes before you eyes. This was what happened to Bianca di Angelo as she lay dying in the scrapyard of the gods.

* * *

She was six years old, playing with Nico in the reception of some hotel. Her mother was there and a tall figure with his arm round her who Bianca assumed was her father stood next to her.

* * *

They were being led into a dark cave by three old women where a river roared ahead of them. Nico grabbed her hand. "I'm scared," he whispered.

* * *

An man with a briefcase took them into a hotel that was loud and bright. Nico's face light up at the colours but he stayed by her side, clutching her hand. The days - years? - in the Lotus Hotel passed in a blur of colours and voices.

* * *

The same man came to collect them and take them to military school. The headmaster came out and Nico hid behind Bianca as he yelled at them to get into line.

* * *

The images sped up and one was barely distingiushable from the last. Sounds and colours and feelings washed over her is a torrent. Through them all, however was always her brother. The two of them being inseparable as children. Playing on the same games in the Lotus Hotel. Hanging with each other during free time at military school. Sitting together in the snow while the others set up camp on that fateful night. Her watching him walk away after joining the Hunters. Saying goodbye before leaving on the quest. She'd told him she'd see him soon. She'd promised him she'd come back.

* * *

Just like that, she was back in her own body. Her breathing had finally slowed and each breath hurt to take in. She said a silent apology to Nico for leaving him on his own. She hoped he wouldn't take her death too badly. She knew he could hold a grudge. A single tear slipped down her cheek as Bianca di Angelo took her last breath and died.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry this one came late but I had almost finished writing it last night when I accidentally quit the page and lost about 15 minutes worth of work and I was too tired to re-write it. Tonight's is going to be another new story about Atlantis!**


	9. Family

**A/N: This is the one that was intended for a couple of days ago but, obviously, I changed my mind. Hopefully this one has a lighter tone than that one, although I'm not sure if it can be classed as happy exactly.**

 **ABC-123-ZYX-987: I cannot thank you enough for all the reviews you gave me. Sorry for making you cry a couple of times although that's kind of the point... I'm glad you love the story and thought some of the chapters were cute and adorable and your review to chapter 5 really made my day. As an answer to your question: I ship both. Solangelo is my OTP. They are so cute together I adore them. But I also really like shipping Reyna and Nico, even though I find it doubtful that either of them are straight. Oh well.**

 **For the eighth day of FanFiction, I give to you...**

* * *

Family

The monsters had come for her. Annabeth gripped her hammer tight in her tiny fist and curled into as small a ball as possible. The aluminium sheet she hid under quivered and clanked for, despite her best efforts to quell it, she trembled with cold and fear. There was nothing she could do to prevent the monsters from finding her although they didn't look like any other monsters she'd seen. They looked like her. Annabeth didn't have time to ponder this, however, before her protection was yanked sharply away from her.

Annabeth launched herself towards them, flailing her hammer wildly. The tall blond one seized her wrist and her makeshift weapon fell away across the stone. She struggled in his grasp but he was much stronger than she. Annabeth quivered in fear for the black-haired girl held a monstrous weapon.

"Put it away Thalia. You're scaring her."

The head vanished into a bracelet and Annabeth released a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. The boy released her wrist and crouched down to her height. He told her that his name was Luke and the girl was called Thalia. He told her how smart she must be and handed her a beautiful bronze knife. He said that it was much more effective than a hammer and how it was only for the quickest and smartest of all fighters. She beamed at his praise and made him promise that he wouldn't take her back to her family. He laughed.

"We'll be your family now, Annabeth. I promise."

* * *

Annabeth felt seven again, but this time the roles were reversed. This time it was Luke who she was talking to and reassuring. This time she was the one with the cursed dagger and he was the one taking it. She still felt the same fear she had when she had thought Thalia and Luke were monsters but, this time, it was fear for Luke and not for herself.

The others thought that Luke was actually a monster trapped in a human's body, but she knew different. She knew that the real Luke was still in there somewhere, that he just needed reminding of who he was. Which is why, with gasping breaths, Annabeth called out to the human inside of the monster.

"Family, Luke. You promised."

* * *

The dagger was gone. Annabeth could sense it even before she checked. Her last promise of family, washed away by the dark despair of the a Cocytus.

She wanted to sit on the shore and howl with rage and anguish, but she knew that wasn't an option. She just wished that there had been some way for her to keep it. It may have been a reminder of a broken promise and all that had happened since, but it was still family.

Annabeth looked up and saw Percy standing over her. His eyes were dark with sadness and he looked weary to the core. He slumped down next to her and lay his head on her shoulder. She smiled. He had come all this way into Tartarus to stay with her. Maybe she had found a new family in Percy.

Still, Annabeth afforded one last glance down the Cocytus to mourn the family she had lost before turning to confront her new one.

* * *

On the shores of the Styx, a young man with blond sandy hair wondered. He had made it into Elysium but still he felt lost and alone. He sat down to brace himself against the flood of memories when he saw a glint of bronze in the water.

Luke watched its progress down the river with mild interest until it was washed onto the sand. He felt a strange pang of sadness inside him as he beheld the object done got up and wandered to where it lay. He picked it up and only needed a glance at its familiar shape to know what it was. Just like the waters before him, the memories rushed in to him.

* * *

 _A tiny girl with blonde hair._

 _An older girl with black hair._

 _The three of them together, laughing, joking, running, fighting._

 _A blade of bronze._

 _A promise of family._

* * *

Luke staggerd backwards, almost dropping the knife into the swift river. He cradled it tightly in his hands and held it close to his no longer bearings heart. It meant so much to him to have it back again, but it also made him sad. Annabeth must have dropped it somewhere or cast it away; maybe she no longer wanted to be reminded of him and what he had done. But, no, that wasn't something Annabeth would do.

He decided he would keep it safe, until he could one day return it to her and fix the promise of family he had broken so long ago.

* * *

 **A/N: How was it? Sorry it was late and I won't be able to do the next one until tomorrow either. Oops. The next one will be another new story based on The Hunger Games. Thank you all so much for reading this, please review, and I will (probably) update soon. Bye!**


	10. Holiday

**A/N: Merry Christmas! I hope you've all had/are having a fantastic Christmas and a Happy New Year. For today I have decided to abandon my typical sad/dark/miserable theme these one shots generally have and do something happy for once. So, for the twelfth, and last, day of FanFiction I give to you...**

* * *

Holiday

It was Christmas morning and all of them had crowded into Sally Jackson's house. The war in August had left each and every one of them with invisible yet irreparable scars, some more than others. But, for the holiday season, they'd all made an effort to come together as one and forget all that had happened and all that they'd lost.

* * *

Percy and Annabeth sat close together on the sofa. Since Tartarus, Percy had made sure to stay close to Annabeth and they helped each other to cope.

Jason and Piper also sat with Percy and Annabeth on the sofa. Piper lay her head on Jason's shoulder, and he pulled her close to him.

Frank and Hazel perched on the table. Frank held Hazel's hand in his two and she had a huge smile on her face for this was the first proper Christmas she'd ever experienced.

Nico had taken the armchair and Will sat in front of him. Nico rested his arms on top of Will's head, and he seemed happier than he had done in years.

Leo sat in front of the fire. Calypso hadn't been able to come but, for once, Leo was okay with being the so-called seventh wheel. Reyna sat with him, but she hardly acknowledged his presence. It seemed she still hadn't quite forgiven him for torching New Rome.

* * *

The ten of them were all cramped together in Sally's small flat, but they were all happy. They could all finally feel like the teenager they were supposed to be, not great leaders or veterans of war.

Sally had provided food for them all and acted like the mum they'd never had. She made sure they were all comfortable and fussed around them.

* * *

It was just like how it had been before the war and before they'd had such a huge burden dropped upon them, except they were finally together in peace.

They exchanged gifts with each other. Percy and Jason had collaborated to give everyone the weirdest gifts possible, usually the kind of things you find in last minute bargain sales. Piper gave the most beautiful clothes and jewellery to everyone. Frank and Hazel gave cute little things that were personal to each one of them, as did Annabeth. Leo, of course, had built everything he gave and each went down a storm, once their proper function had been discovered. Nico, Will and Reyna all gave the generic things that were really very sweet, in their own way.

* * *

They all talked and laughed and told bad jokes late into the night. When they finally left, they did so with a genuine smile on their faces, something many of them hadn't had since forever. They were happy, and that was all that mattered at Christmas.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry this one's so short but I don't have the time to do a long one. I wasn't too keen on the direction this one was going in either. Please review and tell me what you thought. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone! Bye!**


	11. Can You Hear Me?

**A/N: Hi guys! I just want to say thanks in particular to riptidedauntlessgryffindor who has been a huge support, especially for my latest chapter which, quite frankly, I didn't really like. They reassured me that it was okay and that means such a lot to me. This chapter is set when Percy is lost and Annabeth is looking for him. So, it starts just after Last Olympian and then carries on through HoO to MOA. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Can You Hear Me?

 _Can you hear me?_

I don't think you can. I don't where I am, I don't even know who I am. I don't know anything expect that a part of me is missing and I can't get it back yet. I woke up just now and the world looked really strange. I knew I'd gone somewhere different to where I was supposed to be but I don't know where here is. All I remember is that my name is Percy Jackson and I am lost. And you. You could never be erased from my memory. I'm scared, Annabeth.

* * *

 _Can you hear me?_

I wish you could. It's been two months since we woke up one morning and you didn't wake up with us. I don't know where you are. I don't know anything except that a part of me is missing and I want it back. Where are you? Camp needs you. I need you. People have been searching, even Nico persuaded his dad to send some ghosts to look for you. The world is different without you, everyone here can feel it. Come back to me. I'm scared, Percy.

* * *

 _Can you hear me?_

They won't go away Annabeth. The monsters keep coming back and I can't stop them. I don't know why I'm not dead yet. I should be dead. The attacks only came once a day at the start, but now it's at least three times. They don't even let me sleep. Something seems familiar about them but I don't know what it is. They keep telling me I killed their sister and I need to pay for it. I don't even remember doing this Annabeth. What did I do? Who did I kill? Tell me, please.

* * *

 _Can you hear me?_

Everyone's giving up, Percy. It's been months and there's still no trace. The gods have abandoned us and more campers are telling me that it's no use anymore. They all think you're dead but I know you're not. You can't be. I promise you Percy, I won't let anything happen to you. Even if I'm the only one doing it, I will keep searching until it kills me. I don't care about anything else, not any more. I want you back with me. What did we do to deserve all this Percy? Tell me, please.

* * *

 _Can you hear me?_

This place is so strange, Annabeth. I feel like I'm with the people I'm meant to be with, but not. I can't explain it, Annabeth. They call me the Son of Neptune, but that can't be right. It doesn't feel right. I wish you were here. Maybe things would seem right then. Yeah. You'd laugh and call me 'Seaweed Brain' and then kiss me because I was being stupid. That's what you call me, isn't it? 'Seaweed Brain'? I think it is. I wish I could hear your voice again. You always know what to say.

* * *

 _Can you hear me?_

I'm so tired, Percy. I want to sleep but I can't because you're not with me. I have to keep on searching, like I promised. Until it kills me, remember? New campers have turned up, but one of them doesn't belong here. I can feel it. He belongs with our kind, but not with us. I can't explain it. He's going on a quest now with the other two. Something to do with Hera. All of this has to have something to do with that cow. Oh Seaweed Brain. I wish I could see ou again.

* * *

 _Can you hear me?_

We got your message Annabeth! I remember everything now, and I know why I don't belong. I've done so much here at Camp Jupiter. They even made me a Praetor, whatever that is! You'd be proud of me, I think. My friends, Hazel and Frank, are amazing. They took me in and looked after me even though I brought nothing but trouble to them. Same as usual, huh? I can't wait to see you and show you this amazing place! I'm waiting for you, Wise Girl.

* * *

 _Can you hear me?_

Things are happening so fast Percy. One minute I'm with you, the next you're gone and now I'm building a huge warship to come and save you! Things never change, do they? The mood at camp's really picked up now that we know you're alive and your mum and Paul are beside themselves. I don't know how but you've still managed to cause us trouble even when you're not here. You stay right where you are now. I'm coming for you, Seaweed Brain.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm not sure if I like this or not. I think the characters might have gone a little OOC at the end. I have a poll up on my page about my next story so if you wouldn't mind, could you check it out and vote please? Thanks. As usual, please tell me your thoughts and criticisms in a review and I'll update soon. Bye!**


	12. Drowning

**A/N: Hi guys! I'm so sorry for not updating in such a long time. I've had stuff on and also I've been busy with my Merlin fanfic which I've finally managed to upload. This chapter is probably going to be quite short but also probably with a lot of feels. Just a warning.**

* * *

Drowning

It was an accident, they told him, as the wreckage of their car was fished out of the lake. Just some kid who lost control. As usual, they had happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was almost like the gods had cursed him to have eternal bad luck and misery. The doctors and police crowding round him were parroting the same old things. It wasn't his fault. He wasn't to blame. There was nothing he could have done to save them. He was lucky to be alive. Oh, how wrong they were.

The day had started off pretty normal. The three of them, Percy, Sally and Paul, had gotten up early and started driving down to Montauk for a family holiday. They were halfway there when someone had crashed into them, sending their car straight into the water below.

Because of his powers, Percy had survived the car plunging down, but his mum and Paul hadn't been so lucky. Even as he watched the blue Prius with it's impossible hoof prints on the bonnet being hoisted out the water and his parents bodies being taken away, he still couldn't believe it had happened. He half expected his mum to come up behind him and laugh about it.

But she would never do that again and it was all his fault. If only he had acted quicker instead of panicking maybe they would all be alive right now. He could have saved them. Why didn't he?

The doctors said that he was in shock, that this was only natural. It would go away with time. But it wasn't shock that was plaguing him. Guilt was gnawing away at Percy Jackson and, with time, it would slowly destroy him.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry. I don't know why I decided to do this. I know I can be cruel with my treatment of characters but this has probably crossed some sort of line. Oh well. Just... Don't kill me. Please? Okay, please review. I love to hear your thoughts and criticisms of my work. Bye!**


	13. Sacrifice

**A/N: I am SO sorry for the long gap in updates. It's been, what, 2 months? Oops. Thank you so much to anyone who reviewed; I really appreciate them. Anyway, at long last, here is the next chapter.**

* * *

Sacrifice

They were running for their lives. The black of night coated the scene and it was all the four of them could do to avoid branches and fallen logs that appeared out of nowhere. Annabeth tripped and fell but Thalia grabbed the seven year old by the arm and hauled her along. To her credit, Annabeth didn't complain; she knew how much danger they were in and how important it was to keep up.

A roar sounded close (too close) behind them but they were almost there, the camp was right head, if they could just-

Then a tree came rushing towards them, and Thalia only had time to shove Annabeth out of harm's reach before it crashed to the ground, separating her Thalia from Annabeth, Luke and Grover. Luke tried to reach across to her but she stepped out of his grasp.

"Go," she told him, her voice steady. "I'll hold them off."

"Thalia, no!" Luke yelled at her. "You'll die! They're Cyclopes, how are you going to stop them?"

"I'll be okay. I'm a daughter of Zeus, aren't I? Maybe I can convince Dad to blast them with lightning or something." She flashed Luke a grin, trying to look as cheerful as possible for Annabeth's sake. She and Luke both knew that she wouldn't survive, but better one of the sacrifice themselves than all four of them needlessly die.

"Take Annabeth and go," she ordered, suddenly serious.

Still, Luke hesitated. "Thalia -" he started, but she cut him off.

"Please, Luke," she whispered. "Do it for me. Do it for Annabeth." Thalia pointed behind him at Annabeth. The daughter of Athena was watching the two of them with those grey eyes of hers widened in fear.

With obvious reluctance, Luke nodded. He muttered a few words to Grover, who tried to protest, but was stopped by Luke. He picked Annabeth up and they ran out of sight. Thalia turned away, desperately trying to ignore Annabeth's screams for her and focus on the oncoming monsters. She hoped her friends would make it to safety.

* * *

As the Cyclopes thundered up the hill towards her, Thalia took a shuddering breath and drew her sword and shield. She held Aegis aloft and charged forwards. She fought hard and well, but it wasn't long before one of the monsters caught her hard across the head. She flew backwards landed with a crack on the earthy floor. Her back and chest hurt and, as she struggled to breathe, Thalia knew something was desperately wrong inside. She was dying.

* * *

Thalia looked up into the blackened sky and whispered a prayer to her father. She prayed that her friends got over the border safely. She prayed that the camp stayed safe from further attacks. She prayed that her fate not befall another demigod. Zeus heard her whispered final words and sent a blessing down to Earth in the form of his daughter.

* * *

Lying on the damp ground, Thalia felt a strange sensation start to grow. A warm feeling spread throughout her entire body and a glow seemed to emanate from her skin. At first, she thought that she was hallucinating with the pain of the death but, as the glow grew brighter to banish the darkness, she realised her eyes did not deceive her.

Thalia felt herself being raised into the air. She was now surrounded in a cocoon of golden light that shifted and undulated. Her consciousness started sliding away from her and tried to hold on, but it was no use. Her eyes drifted closed and she huffed out one final breath, before slipping away completely.

* * *

As if that one breath was all it needed, the cocoon began to change. It shrunk until it surrounded Thalia completely, and then began to grow along with the body inside. Except...

Except it wasn't a body any longer. Her skin had hardened into bark. Her legs and torso had melded to make a long trunk and her arms, flung out at her sides, had changed to boughs. Her hair which had, moments before, been floating above her head, had grown to surround her head and became long, piny branches. Even the blood that ran in her veins had changed to golden sap.

The light died and, in place of Thalia's body, there stood a large pine tree. It seemed ordinary at first, but when a remaining Cyclops thundered up the Half-Blood Hill towards camp it got blasted backwards and sent back to Tartarus the hard way. The tree stood tall and proud, protecting the camp from any threats, and so it would stay.

* * *

Six years after the events of that fateful night, an awakening would take place. The girl trapped inside the tree felt something tug at her and call her to the light. She followed it and opened her eyes to a sea of unfamiliar people. One of them, a boy with black hair and sea green eyes, knelt next to her.

"I'm Percy," he said. "Who are you?"

She thought for a moment before remembering. "I'm Thalia. Daughter of Zeus."

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you so much for reading, and I am so sorry again about the delay. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will try my best to update again very soon. Bye!**


	14. Hold my hand

**A/N: In light of the recent shooting at Pulse in Orlando, I wished to show my support for them, and every other LGBT person. Unfortunately, there aren't many ways for me to do that except for ranting in private about how despicable it is. So, as well as that, I decided to publish this. I hope you all enjoy it.**

* * *

Hold my hand

Nico's palms sweated as he waited for his boyfriend, Will Solace, to meet him at the top of Half-Blood Hill. Apparently the son of Apollo had planned a night out for them at a club somewhere in town, but that was all Nico had managed to get out of him before he had clammed up. When Nico had pushed him further, Will had just smiled that infuriating smile and tapped his nose, pushing Nico out of the hospital. Nico had silently fumed for days before, wondering what Will had planned for the two of them. For a child of Hades who spent most of his life in the shadows, Nico hated being kept in dark.

At long last, Nico spotted a blonde haired figure trudging up the hill towards him. He hastily wiped his palms on his jeans and watched as Will approached, carrying a large plastic bag. He was wearing his usual orange camp T-shirt and worn blue jeans. His hair was tousled and windswept and it shone gold in the dying light of the Sun, and his sparkling blue eyes matched the cloudless sky. For some reason he had rainbows painted on both cheeks - maybe the Iris cabin had attacked him - but before Nico could ask, Will planted a kiss on his cheek and Nico forgot everything he had meant to say. Will grinned.

"Ready to go, Death Boy?"

"If I only knew where we were going..."

"Ah, come on. You'll love it. You trust me, right?"

"No," Nico said flatly.

Will laughed, a clear sound that echoed across the valley. He claimed not to have inherited any musical talents from his dad, but to Nico that sound was the purest form of music. "Come on," he called, grabbing Nico's hand and dragging him down the hill. "Argus is waiting to take us into town."

Nico ran to catch up with him. The two of them walked hand and hand in silence. It was a peaceful June evening with only the occasional birdsong breaking the quiet. It may have seemed a strange sight, the black-clad son of Hades with the bright beacon that was Will, but Nico hadn't felt this happy since Westover. It was a good feeling.

* * *

Will was practically jumping up and down with excitement the entire journey. Nico kept telling him to keep still - which difficult enough to for an ADHD demigod - but Will just kept laughing. Argus dropped them off in the middle of town where a large group of brightly clothed individuals stood. As he drove away, Nico could have sworn he was smiling at them. He shook his head and turned back to his boyfriend.

"So where are we?"

Will grinned and flourished his hand in an overly-dramatic gesture. "Nico, welcome to your first pride parade!"

Nico blinked in confusion. "Pride... What?"

"A pride parade, Death Boy, is when people of all sexualities come together to celebrate who they are and to proclaim in front of the world that they aren't ashamed," Will declared. He studied Nico's face and his grin faded when he noticed his boyfriend's expression which was, to say the least, extremely perplexed. "I-I mean, we don't have to stay if you don't want. I just thought that, what with it being pride month and almost our two year anniversary of dating, that it would be nice, you know? But I know you aren't really this sort of person and I can always arrange something else if you want to go -"

Nico rolled his eyes and pecked Will on the cheek. The boy stopped rambling and looked down at him. "You really don't mind?"

"I think it's perfect, Will. But, as you may have noticed, I'm not exactly dressed for the occasion." Nico first gestured at the people in the parade and then at his own dark clothes. Will visibly brightened at this observation, which was quite a feat for a son of Apollo.

"I already prepared for that!" He rummaged through his plastic bag and came up with two identical rainbow t-shirts, both with #PRIDE2K16 emblazoned across the chest. Nico made a face, but Will saw and glared at him. "It's this, or the bobbles," he threatened, pulling out a ridiculous head piece with bouncy (rainbow) bobbles and flashing lights.

Nico chose the shirt.

* * *

Afterwards, Nico surprised even himself by admitting that the parade had been one of the best experiences of his life. Everyone there was so happy and it felt good to be part of a group for once. It made a change to be accepted and not discriminated against for who he was and, if he was being truly honest, he liked not being the loner in the shadows.

Of course, every silver lining has a cloud and, for demigods, those clouds tended to be more like full-blown thunderstorms. As much as Nico had hoped, two powerful demigods, particularly a child of the Big Three, would not go unnoticed for long and, sure enough, the monsters came. They had arrived at the club not an hour before when the doors banged open and almost an entire legion of empousai arrived to feast upon unsuspecting mortal flesh. Most of them had panicked and run to hide, although a few stood frozen with shock. Nico felt a slight pressure on his hand and glanced up at Will. It took but a look for both of them to know the plan: Will would herd the mortals to safety and call for back-up whilst Nico stalled the monsters until the cavalry arrived. In this case, literal cavalry. The pair nodded and charged to their positions.

* * *

Nico drew his Stygian blade and faced off with the demons. They hissed at him, but kept a safe distance away from his sword.

"Alright!" Nico yelled. "I'm giving you one chance to leave this place without harming any of the mortals before I attack. And, believe me, you do not want to feel the touch of my blade."

The monsters shuffled and looked to the girl in front - obviously the leader. Looking at her, Nico felt a shiver of recognition that he couldn't quite place. Before he could figure it out, she tipped back her head and laughed, a raspy sound that was harsh on the ears.

"We came here tonight to feast on the flesh of men, little demigod, and feast we shall. No one will stop us, least of all you, son of Hades."

Something clicked in Nico's mind at the sound of her voice. "You're Kelli, aren't you?"

The monster hissed. "And you would do well to remember it, demigod."

As one, the unit attacked.

* * *

Nico thought he was doing quite well. He heard sounds of minor scuffles in the distance and prayed that Will was keeping the mortals safe. He slashed and dodged the empousa's talons, taking them out one by one. As he ran one through, another tried to charm him to his death, but the attempts were futile. She turned to Kelli.

"Why does he not succumb mistress? How does he resist?"

"Look where you are. I'm gay, demon," Nico replied, then sent her straight to Tartarus.

He continued to dispatch the monsters, but then he heard a masculine cry behind him. Recognising the voice, he turned, Will's name halfway to his lips, when he felt a burning pain in his back. Kelli hissed into his ear.

"Remember me, Underworld spawn. Remember me, Kelli, the empousa that defeated the mighty son of Hades."

She released him and Nico fell to the floor. His vision swam, but he could tell that the demons had disappeared. Through the fog he saw a bright spot running towards him and suddenly Will's concerned face was just before his. Their eyes locked and Nico saw the worry and fear that was contained in Will's beautiful blue eyes. He tried to smile, but he was just so tired. If he could sleep for just a moment-

"Oh no you don't, Death Boy." Will's voice shook but he kept it together. "We're getting out of this. You're not leaving me, you're not."

Nico tried for a sarcastic reply that of course he wasn't going anywhere but his voice wouldn't work either. His eyes began to drift closed.

"Stop it Nico," Will commanded him. He hesitated for a second and then held his hand out. "Hold my hand. You'll be fine. I've called for back-up, just hold my hand."

With what little strength he had left, Nico reached up and clasped Will's hand. A bright light flared up and Nico felt his wound start to knit together. It was too late, though. Despite Will's pleas, despite the sudden healing, the blackness closed in and Nico fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Hush, child. We have done all we can."

"But-"

Nico groggily opened his eyes. His mouth was dry and his side felt like someone was sticking pins into it, but he managed a slight cough. Will turned round and almost tackled his boyfriend with a hug, only stopping himself at the last moment. Instead he settled for a kiss on the forehead. Nico smiled weakly. "What happened?"

"The wound that Tartarus scum gave you almost killed you. I thought- I thought you were going to die. If Chiron's healing hadn't worked..."

"Now, now my boy. I think you must take some of the credit also," Chiron interrupted. "Had you not acted as quickly as you did, we would my be having this conversation."

Will blushed and looked down at the floor. Nico frowned. "What did you do? That flash... What was it?"

"Umm... Well, my dad is Apollo right? I didn't get many musical abilities from him - except the sonic whistle - but I'm a decent healer and I have this ability to heal people just by touching them. It's only temporary healing but it can save lives in emergencies. It's a really rare gift; Apollo only grants it to his children if they have real potential. I guess... Well, I don't really know why I can do it. I mean, I'm pretty useless-"

Nico reached over and squeezed Will's hand. "Thank you."

The two of them stared into each other's eyes. Blue met black, and they both found such love and care in the other's that they knew that they had found a home. Chiron cleared his throat.

"It is good to have you back with us, Mr di Angelo. Now, if you'll excuse me, I had better check on the other campers." The centaur exited the room and the two boys were left alone.

"So can I go?" Nico asked.

"Oh no, Death Boy. You're staying right where you are for at least another week."

Nico arched his eyebrows. "A week you say?"

"With only me for company," Will clarified.

"However will I manage," Nico replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I have no idea," Will murmured, leaning in and kissing Nico tenderly. And suddenly he forgot about the pain in his side and the fact he was in a hospital bed. And if stifled squeals and the exchanging of cash could be heard, neither of them cared. Each was lost in the gentle pressure of their lips and the cool touch of their hands meeting.

* * *

 **A/N: I am so sorry. This was supposed to be published weeks ago but I had a lot of trouble writing it. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and I'll update soon, especially seeing as I have another chapter idea in mind which I'm planning to write. Bye!**


	15. Give Up

**A/N: This chapter is kind of a continuation from chapter 5: Dark. That said, it's a one-shot challenge so the two chapters do have different plots, just the plot of Dark led to the plot of this one. Ah, I'm explaining it badly.**

 **TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide**

 **Also, thanks to Guest for reviewing! I'd had a really bad day when you reviewed and you literally cheered me up no end.**

 **Enough of my waffling now. Onto the story!**

* * *

Give Up

How can a son of Poseidon drown? It's simple, really. He just loses the will to live.

Annabeth's death had affected Percy in a bad way. he didn't smile or laugh like he used to, and the omnipresent gleam in his eyes had gone out. His powers had grown to a terrifying extent and it didn't take much provocation for him to cause a tsunami or flood. His moods shifted and changed like the tide: rapidly and without reason. On his better days he would sit in his cabin, staring at photos of her. People tried to forget the bad days. He would turn the sword fighting arena into a mess or straw and dummy intestines. He would fly into rages and break his possessions. Even Clarisse knew to stay away on those days.

* * *

For the most part, he lived at Camp Half-Blood. He had become too powerful to be able to stay in the mortal world for long, and Reyna had made it clear he was too volatile to live in peaceful New Rome. His visits home to Manhattan were short and punctuated by monster attacks. Often he would walk into the flat covered in blood and monster dust, his eyes as dark as thunder clouds. The next night he would wake up screaming for Annabeth after being plagued by nightmares of the wars and her death. Sometimes he would dream of her final moments struggling in the Cocytus and Arachne tormenting her before ending her life. He dreamt he had fallen down with her, but he was unable to help as she was murdered. Sometimes he woke up feeling like he was still falling.

Sally would try and help him, of course. She would hold him as sobs racked his body and stroke his hair like she used to when he was a little boy. She knew, however, that he was beyond even her help. She couldn't pretend to understand the things he had been through, the things he had seen. The next morning, Percy would be gone.

* * *

His friends worried about him as Percy slowly retreated within his own mind, becoming more and more unreachable by the day. They held out some hope that help would come, but each knew that it was not coming. Even the gods had abandoned them again. They were left alone to save their friend.

The thing was that Percy did not want to be saved. He wanted - needed - to unleash his anger upon the world. He wanted to see people hurt as she had been hurt, as he still was hurting. The need for revenge was so deeply rooted inside of him that it would be impossible to dig out again.

* * *

Everything came to a head on July 1st, exactly a year since she had died. It was a hot summer's day and most of the campers were running around doing their activities. Percy had retreated into the woods for the morning and was just returning when a young girl of about 12 years ran into him.

She was one of the new campers, a recently claimed daughter of Athena. She had shoulder-length blonde hair and striking grey eyes. As Percy beheld her, all he saw was Annabeth. Their first meeting when she had told him he drooled in his sleep. Their underwater kiss on his 16th birthday. Their reunion in New Rome after months of separation. Her plummeting into the abyss whilst he stood there helpless, exactly one year ago that day

Anger bubbled up inside of him and he exploded. He let out an inhuman roar and backhanded the girl across the clearing. She screamed once and then fell to earth, lying still. That one scream released Percy from his stupid. He stared in horror at what he had done and backed up as campers formed a crowd around them. Chiron cantered onto the scene, Will Solace in tow. Will knelt down and fed the girl some ambrosia. Colour returned to her face and she began to stir, but that did nothing to alleviate Percy's guilt and anxiety. Chiron turned a grave face towards him.

"What happened?"

Percy's breathing quickened as so many of his friend's faces turned towards him. For the first time he saw the terror in them, terror he had caused. Shaking his head, he turned tail and ran.

* * *

The water had always helped clear his thoughts. Now, though, they were so jumbled that nothing could untangle them. Only one thought kept resurfacing over and over again.

 _Your fault. Your fault. Your fault._

 _Your fault she's dead. You should have done something._

 _Why didn't you do something?_

 _Your fault. Your fault. Your fault._

* * *

Percy pressed his hands to his ears. He wanted it to stop. With a jolt, he realised there was only one way to make it stop for everyone. He closed his eyes, took one last shuddering breath, and let go of his control on the water.

It flooded into his mouth and nose and blocked his breathing. His throat burned and his lungs screamed for air but he ignored it.

* * *

In his final moments as his life began to fade, he thought of her. And, for the first time in a year, Perseus Jackson smiled.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this. I won't say I had fun writing it, but it was a lot easier than last chapter. Hopefully I'll update soon so, until then, bye!**


	16. Memory

**A/N: I know, I'm a terrible person. I'm sorry it's been so long since I updated this story. You have no idea how many times I tried to start another one-shot only to give up halfway through because it wasn't right. I've just been really busy with school and also I got dragged into the Supernatural fandom and it's taken over my life so I kind of drifted away from Percy Jackson for a while. I'm back now though. I hope you enjoy this and I promise it's happy!**

 **Thanks to CarlaKitten21 and lunarchroniclesandcockatiels for the review!**

* * *

Memory  


"Gods dammit Nico," Will grumbled, half carrying, half dragging the son of Hades up Half Blood Hill.

"'S just a scratch, Will," Nico slurred. Then promptly passed out.

Will groaned under the added weight and tightened Nico's arm across his shoulders. "Just a scratch my ass," he muttered under his breath, voice strained with exertion. "No, you only got stabbed in the back, nothing to worry about at all, you'll be back on your feet in a few seconds." Will panted as they reached the summit and carefully lowered Nico to the grass, propping him up against Thalia's tree. "Watch him," he warned Peleus, then turned and ran as fast as he could down the hill.

* * *

The next few hours were torture for Will. Chiron had barred him from the room until he finished after Will had interrupted him for the fifth time in a row, so he had spent his time pacing up and down the waiting room, seriously irritating every single other camper that passed through. Rationally, he knew that Nico would be fine; he had managed to heal most of the damage before they left, but he couldn't help but worry. He had watched so many of his friends die before, and he knew he wasn't prepared to watch the same happen to Nico.

Eventually, Chiron trotted out and laid a hand on Will's shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. "Be careful child, we do not want anymore holes in this floor," he said, a twinkle in his eye.

"Is he okay?" Will demanded. Chiron's mouth twitched slightly and he nodded, amused.

"You may go in and see him now. But... Please be careful. I don't want that wound reopening."

"I will," Will promised, then rushed in, ignoring the stares from the other half-bloods.

* * *

"Hey," Nico greeted softly as Will entered his room. A bandage was wrapped around his middle and his complexion was pale - paler than usual anyway - but otherwise he looked fine. Will breathed a sigh of relief and dropped into a chair by the bed.

"Hey. You okay?"

"Oh, you know. Nothing like almost being killed to make you feel so alive."

Will huffed a laugh and shook his head. "You did not almost die, Death Boy. Besides, if you died on me, I'd kill you."

This time it was Nico's turn to laugh, although this was followed with a grimace of pain. Will immediately shot to his feet, his face a mask of concern. He chewed on his lip, wondering what to do, then spotted a glass of nectar on the bedside table.

"Do you want some nectar?" he asked. Nico nodded reluctantly, breathing heavily and tried to push himself up, a cry of pain escaping him as he moved. Will laid a hand on his shoulder, gently but firmly pressing him back onto the mattress.

"Oh no you don't," he admonished. " _I'm_ doing this."

Nico grumbled something incoherently, but let Will lift his head up and gulped down the amber liquid. After a few seconds Will replaced the glass back on the table and helped Nico get comfortable again.

"Better?" he asked worriedly. Nico nodded wearily and closed his eyes. The pair sat in silence for a few moments, relieved just to have the other breathing softly next to them.

* * *

"Tastes different."

Will jumped as Nico's mumbled voice permeated the quiet. He looked over to his boyfriend to see his eyes were still closed, his lips turned upwards in a small smile.

"What does?"

"The nectar." Nico opened his dark eyes and looked soulfully over at Will. "It's changed. Used to taste like these biscuits my mom used to make when I was little. They had some fancy Italian name but I can't remember what it was now. Bianca and me used to have them as treats every now and then."

Will nodded. "And now?" he asked hesitantly.

"You remember that chicken soup you force-fed me for about a week straight when I had the flu?"

"Yeah. You mean...?"

"Yeah. It's kind of weird, you know, because it used to be really sweet and suddenly I'm drinking soup, but I like it."

"I should make it more often, then," Will joked.

Nico looked at him in mock seriousness. "First of all, I know for a fact you did not make that. Anything you cook looks like it went twelve rounds with a Colchis bull. Secondly, it's all about the memories. Nectar tastes of your favourite comfort food, right? So something that's commonplace wouldn't be special."

Will raised his eyebrows, impressed. "Guess you're not just a pretty face then?"

"Guess not." A beat passed then Nico began to speak again, his voice sounding slightly choked up. "It's a kind of sad because it was my last real link to my family to- to Bianca. I don't want to forget them."

Will laid his hand on Nico's arm. "You won't. They're still here, remember," he said, tapping Nico's head. "Got to keep moving, right?"

Nico nodded, leaning slightly into Will's touch and closing his eyes again. "I think I'm moving in the right direction," he mumbled. Will smiled softly and dropped a kiss on Nico's forehead.

"Me too," he sighed.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed that and I cannot apologise enough for how long it's been. I'm not going to make any promises for an update schedule because I'm going to be so busy with school for the next few months but I am going to update faster than I did last time, and that's a definite. Honest. Thanks for reading and please leave me a review if you have a moment. Bye!**


	17. Smile

**A/N: Again, sorry for slowness of update. Real life got in the way. I hope you enjoy this fluffy Frazel pre-canon goodness!**

 **Thanks to CarlaKitten21 for the review!**

* * *

Smile

Frank glared at the tent lying uselessly on the ground in front of him and sighed, sitting back on his heels. Honestly, he wasn't entirely sure it could be called a tent because those had pegs and poles, and all he had was a sheet of canvas, some failing willpower, and instructions to get it up before nightfall else he'd be cleaning weapons with Vitellius for the next month, at least. Regardless of what is was, however, it was mid-afternoon already and Frank had just completed his fifth (and likely final) failed attempt to construct something that even slightly resembled a tent. He groaned and put his head in his hands, praying to the gods that one of them would claim him soon because he wasn't sure if he could take any more of this _'_ _make the guy on probatio do all the work'_ crap.

In a last ditch attempt to make something good of a bad situation, he stood up quickly – and immediately fell back down as his feet got tangled in the tarp. He bit back a curse and rubbed his elbow where it had smacked against the ground, dimly wondering why he had been cursed with eternal clumsiness as well as the stupid fire stick. Speaking of, he hastily tapped his pocket to make sure it was still safe there, and not mixed up with all the sticks lying on the grass. Thankfully, it was still there, so that was one less thing to worry about.

* * *

Frank eased himself into a more comfortable position and stared hopelessly at the remnants of his failures, glumly resigning himself to practically living in the armoury for the next decade or so. It might not be such a bad chore if Vitellius wasn't there every second, harping on about how shameful it was to put a _probatio_ on weapons duty. He got enough stick from the other legionnaires without adding that into the mix. Then again, maybe that _was_ why the praetors stuck him there as punishment.

* * *

He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice the girl coming up behind him, and startled when she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Wha- Oh, Hazel, sorry, I didn't realise it was you." Frank sighed in relief, thanking the gods that it wasn't Reyna or Octavian.

She smiled warmly. "It's fine, Frank. I noticed you were having trouble so I thought you might need some help."

Frank stared dumbly up at her, his brain struggling to register the words. The setting sun outlined her head like a halo and, _gods_ , she looked so beautiful with her dark hair spilling over her shoulders, and Frank wondered how he hadn't noticed how gold her eyes were before?

"I, um, ah… What?" he stuttered.

Instead of replying, she just laughed and bent down to pick up the tarp where it had fallen. "Here," she said gently. "Grab those branches over there."

* * *

Hazel directed him and the tent slowly came together. Her deft fingers made quick work of showing him the knots needed to hold it together and she rewarded him with a brilliant smile whenever he managed to copy her exactly. That smile warmed him inside and he tried extra hard to do everything she said with minimal damage.

* * *

It was a few minutes until sundown when they finally finished. Frank looked at Hazel with awe and she grinned back at him, laughter dancing in her eyes.

"Well done, Frank," she said softly. "It looks great."

"I- I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you. For helping me. You were a big help."

She giggled. "You're welcome." She reached out and squeezed his hand, before turning away and heading back to camp. Frank watched her walk away, her dark curls bouncing, and barely registered Reyna appearing and deeming his tent 'passable'. Quite honestly, he wouldn't have cared if he had failed, as long as he got to see Hazel.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading. Please leave a review if you have a moment! Bye!**


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